Publish at June 28 2023 Updated June 28 2023
There are many ready-made formulas about travel. It's said to shape youth, to teach tolerance, to take you back to basics, and there's even a Foulfouldé proverb that says, "If you haven't studied, travel.
So there's a whole myth surrounding travel. It would seem that getting away from home would be extremely beneficial. Some even talk about life changes and share their stories online. Many say that travel is a cure for common problems. But is it?
Certainly, it's never been easier to embark on a journey these days. It's still a major expense, but online services are making it easier to find deals on transport, accommodation and catering. With apps, anyone can build an itinerary in a new region or city. Can we really speak of transformations? Do we really emerge from such an adventure transformed?
As this blogger specializing in cycling excursions explains so well, the idea of a journey that transforms us is a little shaky. It's not a magic trick that transforms the individual into someone else. Rather, she interprets it as an evolution of our personality.
From the moment we choose to travel, our mind goes into a different mode than usual. It leaves its comfort zone and thinks not just about the formalities, but about what it's looking for when it leaves. Adventure? An encounter with nature and people? Walking through places steeped in history?
Once on the road, a number of observations are made. Whether it's the beauty of the world and its landscapes, or the differences and similarities with other peoples, the traveler is bound to perceive the vast world differently. This isn't always positive, especially if he analyzes people and customs through the lens of his everyday life. That's why it's so important to open up, to set off without expectations and to understand how things work.
In fact, travel would be a good way to counter the confirmation bias often encouraged on social networks, for example. Tourists will see that the notion of happiness or savoir-vivre differs greatly from one country to another. Unlike a mathematical equation, there is no "right answer". Everyone has to deal with the environment in which they grow up. Hippolyte Taine once said: "We travel to change, not our places, but our ideas.
Throughout our being, one part in particular is generally fond of travel: the brain. According to studies, our grey matter benefits greatly from this experience. Contact with different landscapes, different languages and orienting oneself in an unfamiliar place is said to stimulate numerous cerebral zones. Other research has shown that the anticipation of a trip is more satisfying than the anticipation of a purchase, and that stress tolerance levels increase in the month following a return.
Neuroscientists attribute the benefits to novelty, forcing the brain to be more flexible. What's more, the dopamine secreted by a new experience or a new place not only creates excitement, but also helps to develop lasting memories. That's why it's easier to remember the details of a meal abroad than what we ate the day before. This frequent secretion of dopamine also explains why some people become obsessed with the idea of frequent travel.
But traveling the world is not without consequences. Particularly in the context of climate change, frequent air travel is a major source of air pollution. What's more, some companies specializing in tourism are involved in programs to reforest natural environments. Otherwise, there's no need to go to the ends of the earth for a change of scenery. Just go to little-known places that are accessible by less polluting means of transport (buses, trains, etc.).
But what about travel in the age of metavers? Of course, it could partly replace the experience, much to the delight of some localities who would like to see fewer tourists. The travel industry is already working to use it to create virtual hotel experiences and previews of tourist attractions. However, this type of journey will not have the same effect on the brain as actually moving to a new place. That need will always be there, and it certainly won't disappear with a technological solution.
Image: Joshua Woroniecki / Pixabay
References:
"How Travel Can Change Our Personality." Voyage En Beauté. Last updated: January 17, 2023. https://www.voyageenbeaute.com/comment-les-voyages-peuvent-changer-notre-personnalite/
Mason, Zach. "The Seven Ways Travel Changes Your Life." Projects Abroad. Last updated March 13, 2020. https://www.projects-abroad.fr/blog/sept-facons-voyage-change-votre-vie/
"Research Shows Travel Changes You for the Better - Here's How." Worldpackers. Last updated: May 4, 2023. https://www.worldpackers.com/articles/research-shows-that-travel-changes-you-for-the-better
"Reflection: Does Travel Really Change Us?" Un Monde à Vélo. Last updated: April 27, 2023. https://un-monde-a-velo.com/changer-voyage/
Stevenson, Tom. "5 Powerful Ways Travelling Changes Your Perspective." The Travelling Tom. Last updated April 6, 2023. https://www.thetravellingtom.com/travelling-changes-your-perspective
Street, Farnam. "A Wandering Mind: How Travel Can Change the Way You Think." Farnam Street. Last updated August 14, 2022. https://fs.blog/how-travel-change-way-you-think/
Vaes, Jellis. "How Travel Can Change Your Life." The Planet D: Adventure Travel Blog. Last updated May 9, 2016. https://theplanetd.com/how-travel-can-change-your-life/
Varniene, Milda. "Spark Your Brain Magic With Travel." Adventures.com. Last updated July 17, 2019. https://adventures.com/blog/brain-magic-with-travel/
Voisin, Julie. "Can Travel Really Change Your Life? Discover La Réponse D'un Sociologue." Femina. Last updated: March 16, 2023. https://www.femina.fr/article/le-voyage-peut-il-reellement-changer-votre-vie-decouvrez-la-reponse-d-un-sociologue
Williams, Andréane. "Quels Impacts Les Voyages Ont-ils Sur Notre Cerveau?" Radio-Canada.ca. Last updated: November 7, 2021. https://ici.radio-canada.ca/nouvelle/1832054/voyager-neurones-sante-mentale-neurologie-science-memoire
"Metaverse Travel: How The Metaverse Will Change The Travel Industry." Revfine.com. Last updated: June 15, 2023. https://www.revfine.com/fr/metaverse-voyage/
""We Travel To Change, Not Places, But Ideas."". De Voyage Et D'Eau FraÎche. Last updated: May 5, 2014. https://devoyageetdeaufraiche.wordpress.com/theorie-du-voyages/on-voyage-pour-changer-non-de-lieu-mais-didees/
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